Copyright © 1990 by the European Society of Cardiology.
© 1990 The European Society of Cardiology
Intra-arterial blood pressure monitoring in the evaluation of the hypertensive athlete
Clinic a Medica 1. University of Padova Italy
Received 21 March 1989; revised 8 March 1989; .
Correspondence: Dr Paolo Palatini, Clinica Medica I, Via Giustiniani 2,35100 Padova, Italy
Abstract
To compare the blood pressure (BP) changes during a long-distance run with those during bicycle ergometry, nine normotensive and 18 hypertensive joggers were studied by means of ambulatory intra-arterial monitoring. In all subjects the ergometric test caused a progressive increase in systolic and little change in diastolic BP. Exertional BP levels were closely related to pre-exercise baseline values (P<0.001). A different BP pattern was observed during track running, as a sharp rise in systolic BP reaching maximum values 2–4 min after the start was recorded. Subsequently, systolic BP progressively declined throughout the run, only to increase again during the final sprint. Diastolic BPfell markedly at the onset of the run and then remained substantially stable throughout. A poor relationship was observed between the BP values at peak exercise and baseline levels (P<0.05) as the normotensives showed a significantly higher BP response than the hypertensives. On the contrary, during the ergometric test a parallel increase in BP was recorded in the normotensive and the hypertensive joggers. No correlation was found between the BP response to track running and to bicycle ergometry.These results indicate that the BP response to a standard stress test is not predictive of the BP changes determined by a long-distance run. The BP increase with strenuous effort seems to be reduced in hypertensive individuals, probably because of latent impairment of cardiac performance
Key Words: Exercise • sports cardiology • hypertension • blood pressure